Above All Else
by Shipper Utopia
Summary: When Nigel Crane returns, can Nick and Sara deal with the aftermath? UPDATED 06/08


Above All Else  
  
Sara Sidle and Nick Stokes sat making out on the couch and then they both mutually pulled away.  
  
"What's wrong?" They asked at the same time.  
  
"You go first." Nick said, gently touching her cheek with the back of his hand.  
  
"I never felt like this about any guy before. I don't want to mess it up. I want it to be when we're both ready and I want it to be really special, because you're really special to me. How corny is that?" She asked, looking up into his face.  
  
"It's not. That's what I was going to say. I want to meet your mom first and I want you to meet my parents. I want us to have all the time in the world."  
  
"Nick, we do have all the time in the world."  
  
He pulled her over and put his arm around her. "Yeah. We do." He kissed her as she crinkled her nose at him and they fell asleep as they often did, his arms around her, lying next to each other.  
  
As she woke up and looked around her, she grew frightened. What had happened? Where were they? Where was Nick? Then she saw him – standing, arms outstretched, and chained to wooden posts on either side of him. His head hung limply.  
  
"Nick!" His head moved slowly, the pain was excruciating, but he hadn't made a sound. Why had Nigel brought Sara too? What did he have planned? He'd give anything to be back on the couch with his arms wrapped around her, smiling at her cute smile with the small gap or the way she crinkled her nose. The pain brought him back to the place where he didn't want to be, but he soon found his comfort in Sara's eyes.  
  
"Are you okay?" He asked her.  
  
"I think so. How about you?"  
  
"I'll live. Where are we?"  
  
"I don't know." Across the room, a loud creak shattered the entombed atmosphere and Crane entered the room.  
  
"My new friends are awake." He turned his attention to Nick and lifted Nick's face, studying it for a moment before pushing it away. Sara winced as Nick groaned from the pain.  
  
Nigel pulled out a whip and Sara caught the glimmer from the shards of glass intertwined with the leather. "What are you doing?" she pleaded.  
  
"Do you know how much pain I was in while he put me in prison? He has to be punished before I can forgive him. I've studied pain and punishment; I'm an expert on it. Did…did you know that it comes in many different forms: both emotional and physical. Nick has to be punished…and he knows it."  
  
He lifted the whip. "No!" Sara cried, tears filling her eyes. With one flick of the wrist, Nick's body jerked forward and his jaw clenched to prevent any cries. All other thoughts of pain left him as he felt each tiny shard slice through him. He felt the warm trickles of blood on his bare skin. Again he found comfort in Sara's eyes, but there were tears there as well. Please, please don't cry, Sara.  
  
"Please, no," Sara pleaded, her eyes never leaving Nick's. "You'll kill him." She looked up into Nigel's eyes and an icy shiver ran through her bones. "What do you want from us?"  
  
He knelt down before her and slid his fingers down her bare leg. "To posses you as completely as Nick does. I've been watching you for a long time and I know what you mean to each other." Her heart pounded.  
  
Nick could not believe what he was hearing. If it wasn't bad enough that Nigel had returned, now he wanted Sara to sleep with him to save Nick's life. He couldn't – he wouldn't let her do that. He tried to speak, but the words wouldn't come. Sara broke from Nick's gaze. Tears broke through in spite of her best effort to hold them back.  
  
"I'll do it. Whatever it is, I'll do it."  
  
Nigel smiled the twisted smile that had haunted the nightmares that woke Nick up screaming every night. "I knew you'd want me as much as I want you."  
  
"Sara, no," Nick whispered. "Sara, don't do this!" As Nigel took her tightly by the arm and led her out the door, Nick began to cry.  
  
Sara stood alone in the large bedroom. There were black satin sheets already on the bed and a black, sheer babydoll. "I was sure you'd look beautiful in it." She whirled around to find Nigel standing unclothed in the doorway. Every part of her wanted to yell at him, to fight him, but she couldn't. Nick's life was on the line and she couldn't lose him again. "I'd offer to let you use the bathroom but I'm afraid you might do run away."  
  
"You really think I'd leave Nick here with you?"  
  
"Sara, I've been watching both you and Nick from prison. I've seen the two of you together and I know that you both waited because you love each other so much. I'm still not sure how far you'd be willing to go, what sacrifices you'd be willing to make, even for him. It's best this way." Her heart ached at the thought of Nick still chained up and in so much pain. "Get changed."  
  
He sat on the edge of the bed and watched her, eyes filled with lust. Sara lifted the sheer, flimsy object and bit her lower lip. Placing it back on the bed, she began to unbutton her shirt. Come on, Sara, this is for Nick. All she wanted was to get this over with and return to Nick. She thought of Nigel touching her, being with her, in the way Nick never had, and a wave of nausea came over her. Would she be able to go through with it? Then her thoughts wandered to Nick – chained up, his back shredded and bleeding. Crane was right; she did love him, enough to do this. Inhaling deeply, her strength returned. Her body shivered beneath his gaze.  
  
"Why are you doing this?"  
  
His eyes, after studying every inch of her body, met hers. "I already told you, I've been studying pain, especially how it deals with punishment. Nick's gone through the physical punishment, but can he can handle the emotional one of knowing that you are giving yourself to me?" Within seconds, he was on top of her, touching her, exploring her. Her body tensed with every touch. She was repulsed at the feel of his tongue as he slid it down her face. His lips pressed to hers. She could feel him against her thigh. She just lay there, not moving, and not allowing herself to cry. Finally, he sat up, straddling her, pulled her head up, and kissed her hard, pushing her back down on the bed. "You will enjoy this," he whispered, "or Nick starts all over with the physical punishment."  
  
Acid tears streamed down her face as his tongue forced its way past her lips. He ran his hand up and down her, stopping wherever and whenever it wanted. He slid his fingers beneath the babydoll and lowered it off her. She tried to think of anything but the situation at hand. She tried to imagine herself back on her couch, Nick's arms around her, sleeping after a long shift. Pain surging through her body brought her back to reality. It wouldn't be much longer, but those few seconds would haunt her for the rest of her life.  
  
"Scream for me," he panted. She bit her lip and didn't make a sound until he hit her again, this time on the side of the head, causing her to bleed. The overwhelming pain became too much for her to contain any longer and she screamed so loud that she knew there was no way Nick hadn't heard her. She wondered what he must think of her; maybe he hated her for doing this. Oh, Nick, please don't hate me. Please understand. The tears finally poured out as she felt the weight of his body collapse on top of her. Her instinct was to push him off and run, but she couldn't – Nick's life hung in the balance. "That was incredible," Nigel whispered after forcing his tongue down her throat. He propped himself up on one arm and studied her. "I suppose you'd like to go back to our Nick now." His fingers lazily traced circles on her abdomen.  
  
"Please."  
  
"Sure, why not? I'll come get you later, but you can see him now. Tell him how you experienced me." Putting his clothes back on, taking her clothes, leaving her with only the babydoll to wear, he got off the bed and walked to the door. He watched her put the lingerie back on and waited for Sara to walk into the cell. She took one step and stopped. Nick was still chained up.  
  
"Could you unchain him? Please?" Her eyes pleaded and her voice was barely above a whisper.  
  
"Sure. There's no way you two can escape." She immediately went around to Nick's side and gently touched his cheek.  
  
"Nick?" Heavy eyelids opened to reveal his tortured and worried eyes.  
  
"Sara!" His right arm fell and Sara wrapped her arms around him for support as Nigel slammed the door behind them. Try as she did, she couldn't support him and they both fell to the ground as he lapsed into unconsciousness in her arms. She was glad that he was out; she didn't want him to be in any more pain and she wasn't anxious to deal with the questions. Yet part of her wanted to have him hold her, to wake her and tell her it was all a nightmare. She knew it couldn't be a nightmare; he was the one that still had nightmares like this. Stretching out her legs beside his, she sighed and rested her head on his chest, holding onto him tightly. His strong heartbeat soothed her as the tears flowed again.  
  
Nick awoke to throbbing pain and the feel of something heavy weighing against his chest. He looked down and saw Sara resting there. With one arm, he reached up and tangled his fingers in her hair until he met a knot forming where her hair was matted with blood. Her head moved slightly as she moaned from the pain. More tears fell from his eyes as images of Sara with Nigel filled his mind. Then he felt the warm tears – her tears – fall on his chest. "Sara?" She didn't look at him. She couldn't face him, yet she needed him. She wrapped her arms tighter around him and Nick held her, crying silently for what he'd gotten them both into.  
  
They both jumped as the door opened and Crane stepped in. He walked over and grabbed Sara's arm, trying to pull her up but Nick held her to him.  
  
"Oh, Nick. Please tell me you don't have to start your punishment all over again. That would make me so sad. I don't like hurting you." Sara looked into Nick's eyes. No words were spoken as he slid his arms off her and she did the same. Nick tried to get up before Nigel could take her again but was kicked in the ribs for his effort.  
  
"Nick!" She fought to get to him, but there was nothing that she could do.  
  
It seemed like an eternity before Sara was returned to the dark cell. Nick's strength had improved and he was able to sit up. He saw Sara standing in the doorway and she stepped inside, but didn't move until the door closed behind her. She walked to Nick and he caught sight of the darkening around her swollen right eye.  
  
In an instant, he was holding her in his arms. "Sara, I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry." If it wasn't for him, Nigel Crane would never know about Sara. He didn't understand why Sara figured into the equation. Jane Galloway hadn't been raped, but Sara had, probably twice, at least. If it was Nigel trying to be him again, wouldn't even Crane know that he would never hurt Sara? He had hurt Sara; he was responsible for anything that happened to her. Sara couldn't speak as she wrapped her arms around him and clung to him. He ignored the pain from the pressure on his back. It was nothing compared to what his Sara was going through. "What did he do to you?" She looked at him, wanting to speak, but there were no words to be found. Nausea was growing through her and within seconds she turned away from Nick and vomited. Nick held her hair and softly rubbed her back and her shoulders. Was she vomiting from the injuries or from what Nigel had done to her? Which would be worse? Sara turned back and looked at Nick. "Why did you do it, Sara?"  
  
"I had to." She winced as he touched the corner of her bruised eye.  
  
"Sorry." He wanted to ask her what happened, but he wasn't sure he could handle the answer. He had heard the testimonies of rape victims, investigated the scenes, he'd even protected some when he was still a police officer, but this was different – this was Sara. His beautiful Sara that he loved more than his life. She looked into his eyes. She saw the questions, the hurt, the anger, and the guilt.  
  
"Don't. It wasn't your decision; it was mine and I would have made it again." He stopped and stared at her. "I don't regret anything that has happened – not one second of it. And this is something that I will learn to deal with, but never once will I regret my decision. After he pushed you out of the window, I was the first CSI on the scene, besides Warrick. I didn't see you at first, just Warrick, bent over something in the bushes. When I saw, I thought I was going to die. I was in the middle of a panic attack when Catherine and Grissom showed up. The ambulance took you and Warrick to the hospital. Grissom drove first and I went with Catherine. She calmed me down and never said anything, just stayed with me until the doctor came out and told us that you were going to be all right. It was one of the most terrifying moments of my life." She paused. "Nick, no matter what happened, always remember two things. It was my decision and I love you. Never forget how much I love you."  
  
Nick put his arm around her and pulled her close. "I love you too. Don't say your goodbyes. I'm going to get you out of here no matter what it takes, I'm getting you out," he whispered.  
  
Nigel came back and Sara looked into Nick's eyes. "Remember." She whispered before she left again.  
  
Hours later, Nigel came back alone. "Where's Sara?" Nick asked, fighting to have enough strength to stand.  
  
"I'm sorry, Nick. She died." Nigel's voice was flat, emotionless.  
  
"Damn you, you bastard! Why'd you have to kill her?" Nick lunged at Crane, never seeing the gun until the bullet went into his chest.  
  
"Where the hell could they be?" Catherine had never seen Grissom so frantic. Warrick had gone to check when neither Nick nor Sara came in for the shift, before someone at the courthouse had bothered to tell them Nigel Crane had been released on bail almost a full day before.  
  
The phone rang and she answered it, afraid of what Grissom would say. She could take his bad temper, but they wanted the searchers to stay on their side. "Hello?"  
  
"Catherine, it's Brass. We found Sara. They're taking her to Summerlin. It's not good."  
  
"What about Nick?"  
  
"No sign of him."  
  
"We'll be there." She hung up and looked at Grissom, who'd stopped pacing. "Gil?"  
  
"Sara's dead." He said blankly and she shook her head.  
  
"No, but Brass says it doesn't look good. Crane must still have Nick; he wasn't with her."  
  
"I'll leave word at the desk where we're going." She nodded and called Warrick to meet them at the hospital.  
  
Brass stood waiting for his colleagues when Catherine and Grissom arrived. They waited silently until Warrick came in, looking worried.  
  
"Every law enforcement in the area is on the lookout for Nick or Crane. We're widening the search. After he dumped Sara, he probably would get away as soon as possible."  
  
"That is if he doesn't want to get caught. Nigel Crane's psychotic. Who knows what he wants?" Catherine said, keeping a close, protective eye on Grissom.  
  
"We're leaving in an hour if anyone wants to go with us." Brass left and the doctor came out.  
  
"Doctor, how is she?" Grissom asked.  
  
"Contusions, cuts, dehydration, concussion, and she was raped, more than once. She has a fever and it's possible that she could drop into a depression; she hasn't stopped crying since she woke up. She hasn't eaten in over twenty-four hours. She's in ICU, but she's awake. You can see her."  
  
"Can you go first?" Warrick asked, standing up against the wall and closing his eyes. Catherine and Grissom walked into the room together.  
  
"Sara?" Catherine asked, but the other woman didn't answer, only laid on her left side, looking off into the distance and crying. Grissom left first, unable to take it, and then Catherine followed him a few minutes later.  
  
Warrick went into the hospital room. "Sara, I'm sorry. I promise you that I will get Nick back. Crane won't escape again, I'll make him pay, if it's the last thing I ever do." She turned to lay on her back and nodded, still crying.  
  
Grissom stood against the wall of her room and watched. She'd wanted to take a shower before getting Sara some clothes. It was the first time that he'd seen her in a ponytail and no makeup; she still looked beautiful. He thought about Sara and Nick, the sacrifices they'd made for each other.  
  
"Cath, you're not going." He said, quietly but firmly.  
  
She turned to look at him. "What?"  
  
"You heard me. You're not going."  
  
"Why not?" She argued.  
  
He leaned down and kissed her lips. "That's why."  
  
He turned to walk away. "Grissom, you can't just do something like that and then walk away." She said, astonished.  
  
"We'll talk about it when I get back." He called as he departed. For a split second, Catherine thought only of him…and the kiss. Sara…she needed to get Sara some things from her apartment.  
  
"How is she?" Catherine asked the nurse coming out of Sara's hospital room.  
  
"Her fever's gone up."  
  
Catherine walked into the room and found Sara just as she'd left her, lying with her face to the wall, crying. "Sara, I brought you a bag with some pajamas and a robe for now." She'd also gotten the necessary grooming items, underclothes, and knit pants with a Harvard sweatshirt. "Sara, if you don't stop crying, you won't be able to go home."  
  
"What if they can't find him? What if…" Sara started crying again.  
  
"Sara, you have to calm down. When Nick does come home, he'll be upset that you're so sick." Sara nodded and tried to stop crying again. "Do you want me to stay with you?" Again, Sara nodded.  
  
Catherine sat in the chair beside the bed. "Did I ever tell you about the first case Grissom and I ever worked together?" Sara shook her head, grateful that Catherine was trying to keep her mind occupied, although it wasn't working, and listened to the story.  
  
"Do we have any leads?" Grissom asked Brass when he arrived at the LVPD station.  
  
"One." Brass didn't explain any more than that. "Can we take the Tahoes? My air's out again." Grissom nodded and his friend rode with him while Warrick and the others followed.  
  
"I'm sorry, Nick. I didn't want to shoot you. You shouldn't have done that. She wasn't good enough for us. She would never have made you happy, not like I will." Nigel prattled on, trying to fix Nick as Nick's mind raced with confusion and he felt himself losing sweat and blood.  
  
"Let me go. Please let me go."  
  
"I can't do that, Nick. I can't do that." The police swarmed the only door in the building.  
  
"Get an ambulance!" Brass yelled to one of the rookie cops.  
  
Warrick ran over to his friend. "It's all right, Nick."  
  
"Sara?" He said as Warrick tried to stop the bleeding. "Sara's dead."  
  
"No. She's at the hospital. Catherine's with her."  
  
Nick shook his head. "No. He told me Sara was dead."  
  
"She's fine. She's fine." He tried to calm Nick down.  
  
Grissom saw Nigel Crane trying to escape and pulled out his gun. "Hold it!" Nigel stopped and turned around. "Come back here." Nigel stood still until he heard the gun cocking.  
  
"He said come back over here. Don't give me a reason." Warrick said, pointing his gun at Crane as well and not taking the gun off him until Brass had him handcuffed.  
  
"You shouldn't have done that." Grissom said.  
  
"I'm going with Nick." Grissom nodded and Warrick walked towards the ambulance.  
  
"Do you think that he would have shot him?" Brass asked Grissom.  
  
"No." Grissom said, wishing that he could be as confident as he prayed he sounded to his friend, but he remembered Warrick's reaction when Nick was pushed out of the window. This time, it was both Nick and Sara; they were all on edge. "I'm going back with Crane; make sure he doesn't get away again. Can you drive my Tahoe back?"  
  
Hours later, Catherine sat quietly on the couch, her knees drawn up to her chin, lying her head sideways on top of her knees, and crying. Grissom had to be all right; he had to come back. Brass had called her and told her that Grissom had escorted Nigel back to prison; the van had blown up. There was too much damage to tell how many had been killed, if any had gotten out, but he had to be all right. How could she ever forgive herself for not telling him how much he meant to her if he never came back? She wanted to be searching, but Brass had insisted that there were already too many CSIs injured. At Summerlin, Sara sat in a wheelchair with Warrick outside the emergency room. He'd lost so much blood. What if he never woke up? Had Nigel won?  
  
I miss the look of surrender in your eyes, the way your soft brown hair would fall. I miss the power of your kiss when we made love, but baby most of all I miss my friend, the one my heart and soul confided in, the one I felt the safest with, the one who knew just what to say to make me laugh again and let the light back in. I miss my friend. I miss the colors that you brought into my life: your golden smile, those blue-green eyes. I miss your gentle voice in lonely times like now saying it'll be all right. I miss my friend. The one my heart and soul confided in, the one I felt the safest with, the one who knew just what to say to make me laugh again and let the light back in. I miss my friend. I miss those times, I even miss the silly fights, the making up, the morning talks, and those late afternoon walks I miss my friend. The one my heart and soul confided in, the one I felt the safest with, the one who knew just what to say to make me laugh again and let the light back in. I miss my friend.  
  
The door opened and Grissom walked through, dirty and battered, as Catherine wiped tears from her eyes and walked to him. "Damn you. Where the hell have you been?" He put his arms around her and held her as she cried against his chest.  
  
When he finally let her go, Grissom touched her face gently. "How's Nick?"  
  
"Surgery. Warrick's with Sara. She wanted to be alone, but Warrick was afraid to leave her."  
  
"Well, it sounds like she's in good hands. We've got a lot to talk about." She nodded as he joined her on the couch.  
  
"Ms. Sidle?" The doctor came out and Warrick stood. "He's awake. He wants to see you for a few minutes."  
  
"Sara, I'm going home. If you need anything, call me or call Catherine. I think she's still at her apartment."  
  
"I will." She wheeled herself into Nick's room.  
  
"Hey, peanut. Thank God you're all right." He gently touched her face. "What happened?"  
  
"How much do you need?"  
  
"Tell me when you woke up."  
  
"Grissom and Warrick went out to look for you and Catherine stayed with me." She said, noncommittally before pausing. "Nick, I want to go home."  
  
"So do I, Sara. So do I."  
  
"Ms. Sidle, you need to go back to your room now." One of the nurses said and Sara nodded so they would be left alone again.  
  
Nick stroked her cheek. "I love you."  
  
"You didn't forget, did you?"  
  
"How could I?" He reluctantly let go of her hand and she wheeled herself back to her room.  
  
Catherine called into the hospital to check on Sara and Nick and then tried to fall asleep with her head on Grissom's shoulder. He had reassured her that he was fine, he didn't need a doctor, and although part of her didn't believe him and didn't like the cut on his head, she didn't want to be separated from him either. Lindsay was staying over with a friend, so the house was quiet. She was reassured by his steady breathing and, before she realized what was happening, she started to cry. Grissom looked at her when he felt tears soaking through his shirt.  
  
"Catherine?" He asked.  
  
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get your shirt wet."  
  
"It's not the shirt that's the problem. Would you like to tell me what it is?"  
  
"Nothing."  
  
"Cath…" He wasn't buying that for a moment.  
  
"It's just…I don't want to lose you."  
  
He laid his head on top of hers. "You won't. I promise. Have I ever broken a promise to you?"  
  
"No."  
  
The phone rang. "Catherine." She answered.  
  
"Ms. Willows? This is a nurse at Summerlin; you asked to be notified on Sara Sidle and Nick Stokes."  
  
Her eyes raised. "Yes. Has something happened?"  
  
"We're putting the respirator on Mr. Stokes and we're putting Ms. Sidle on an IV to feed her; she won't eat."  
  
"We'll be right there." She hung up. "Nick's going on a respirator and they're putting Sara on an IV. She won't eat."  
  
Catherine and Grissom walked into the hospital as one. "Why are they in separate rooms? Isn't there any way they can be in the same one?" Grissom asked the doctor.  
  
"It's against the rules, sir."  
  
"I'll make you a deal. If they don't get better within twenty-four hours, you can separate them again." Grissom said, unwilling to take no for an answer. He knew his people and he knew that Sara would do better if she knew Nick was.  
  
The doctor smiled at his persistence. He obviously cared a great deal for his friends and if he thought it could put them in any danger, he wouldn't have argued for it. "All right. We'll try it." The doctor walked away.  
  
Grissom looked at Catherine. "Do you mind if I talk to Sara alone?" She shook her head and Grissom walked into Sara's hospital room.  
  
"Grissom?"  
  
"Hey. They're going to put you and Nick in the same room."  
  
She tried to smile, but didn't have the energy. "Thank you."  
  
"You can thank me by getting well." He paused. "There was a wreck that ended in an explosion. We don't know what happened to Crane. I got out, but I don't remember what happened to him. I'm so sorry."  
  
"Have you told Nick?" Sara asked.  
  
"Not yet."  
  
She shook her head. "It won't ever be over. Even if we never see him again, I won't ever forget what he did to us. We'll never know for sure. He could be just around the corner." Grissom nodded, hating himself for not being able to give her better news.  
  
Catherine came inside the room. "They're moving Nick now."  
  
"Do you want us to go?" Grissom asked her.  
  
"Not yet." He nodded and moved out of the way, as they wheeled Nick into the room. He was asleep on the bed and she was frightened to see that he seemed even paler than when she'd seen him only hours before.  
  
The nurses left and Sara looked questioningly at Catherine and Grissom. "Why is he on a respirator?"  
  
"He was having a little trouble breathing. It'll be all right." Catherine tried to reassure her friend just as she would Lindsay. Only Sara wasn't Lindsay's age, she was just a few years younger than Catherine, just a year younger than Nick. This wasn't supposed to be happening to her friends and she hated Nigel Crane even more for causing it.  
  
"Ma'am?" A nurse stuck her head into the door. "You have a call from Captain Jim Brass."  
  
Catherine nodded and went to take the call as Grissom watched Sara's eyes flutter shut. She'd always been like a daughter to him, but now she almost looked like a child while Nick looked years older than he actually was. This had changed his people: he had never seen Catherine so shaken, hadn't seen Warrick lose his temper that bad in years, and Nick and Sara still could die. Catherine came back into the room.  
  
"Gil?" He nodded and left quietly so that he didn't wake Sara back up.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Brass wants us and Warrick down at the station."  
  
Warrick joined them at the station. "Cath, what's going on? They were the ones that let him out. What did they think was going to happen? He wasn't going to attack Nick again? He was reformed?" Warrick complained bitterly.  
  
"It's just questions. The sooner we answer them, the sooner we can all get back to the hospital or get some rest. Who's at the lab?"  
  
"Ecklie's shift is working a double." Warrick answered, the only CSI who'd actually showed up for a shift. "They don't need us."  
  
Grissom's face looked skeptical, but Catherine walked between the two men, not saying a word. Brass met them outside an interrogation room.  
  
"We're going to have to separate you three to answer questions. Warrick, you're with Conroy. Grissom, with O'Reilly. Catherine, you come with me."  
  
Catherine remained silent as she watched her friends go with the two other officers and she walked into the interrogation room. Brass shut the door and she finally spoke again. "Brass, what the hell is this about? We have two friends in the hospital and none of us have slept in at least thirty hours."  
  
"Mind if I record this?"  
  
"Go ahead. You'd find a way anyway."  
  
"Catherine, where were you when we were arresting Crane?"  
  
"I was with Sara until Warrick and Nick arrived. She said that she didn't want anyone with her, but Warrick told me he would stay, so I went home. About an hour ago I got a call from the hospital that Sara and Nick needed us."  
  
"Have Warrick or Grissom told you about when Crane was arrested?"  
  
"No. You were the one to tell me that Warrick nearly shot Crane." Not that she blamed him, but she wasn't about to tell Brass that.  
  
"How were Warrick's feelings towards Crane?"  
  
"Nick's his best friend. Sara's our friend and a member of the team. They still could die. How would you feel?"  
  
"What about Grissom?"  
  
"Nick wants to be exactly like Grissom. He's known Sara for years. They're almost like his children or younger siblings. He feels the same way I do."  
  
"And how's that?"  
  
"If you guys had done your job, Sara and Nick might have had a little warning that Crane was out and maybe they could have protected themselves."  
  
He switched off the recorder. "Catherine, I'm doing this because it's my job. I have to know what happened in case Warrick gets into any difficulty over it. But you know him as well as I do and you remember what he was like. Has he changed? Was Grissom covering for him?"  
  
"You know, what? I don't really care. At least we won't have to have you for a supervisor again." She knew that she'd gone to far, but instead of apologizing, she stormed out of the room.  
  
"Damn, she's mad." Brass said to himself.  
  
"Erin, I can't believe you're doing this." Warrick said, sitting at the table. "I mean, it's Sara and Nick. I thought you of all people…" Erin and Nick had casually dated a couple of times and the young blonde police officer liked Sara.  
  
"Would have a job to do just like anyone else. You've worked for the sheriff and for Brass. It's not like you don't know how they are. I'm going to record the rest of the conversation, okay?" Warrick nodded. "Warrick, what was going through your mind when you nearly shot Crane?"  
  
"The fact that if Grissom wasn't more careful, I could have three friends that might die instead of just two."  
  
"Were you thinking of Nick or Sara or the fact that Nigel managed to get out of jail once and he might again?"  
  
"Yes. But the only reason I did what I did was to help Grissom."  
  
She turned the recorder off. "Warrick, tell them I'm sorry about what happened."  
  
He nodded. "Can I go find Catherine and Grissom now?" She nodded and he left the room.  
  
O'Reilly asked the same question about the recorder and Grissom nodded, unwilling to speak. "What were you thinking when Warrick pulled the gun on the suspect?"  
  
"I was glad he was there because I wasn't sure what Crane was capable of."  
  
"What do you think he was thinking?"  
  
"Come on, Detective. You know as well as I do that I'm not a mind- reader. How could I possibly know what another person was thinking?" His voice was still calm and rational.  
  
"What about what you were thinking?"  
  
"I was angry, but I wouldn't risk anything just to kill Nigel Crane. He's not worth it. If the others have listened to my people, they'll find out the same. I'm leaving now." He said as he stood and walked out the door.  
  
Brass and Conroy joined O'Reilly as they watched the investigators leave together. "What did Grissom say?" Brass asked.  
  
"He was calm, didn't seem to know anything about it."  
  
"That's what I got from Warrick, only louder and angrier."  
  
"That's not like Grissom. If the questions angered Catherine and Warrick, they should have been enough to anger Grissom too." Brass pondered, hoping that he was right, that his friends had nothing to do with Crane's death.  
  
Catherine's eyes were blinking open and shut as they went outside, both from the bright sun and lack of sleep. She pulled her sunglasses out of her purse and it helped, but not much.  
  
"I'm going home and get some sleep." She told the others. "I couldn't help them much like this anyway." Grissom nodded.  
  
"I think I'll go back to the hospital. I don't like leaving them alone." Warrick told her.  
  
"Why don't you go home and get some sleep? I'll stay with them." Grissom said, wanting to go with Catherine, but unwilling to let Warrick become a zombie.  
  
"Maybe later. I'll call if I need some sleep. I'm too awake right now." Grissom nodded silently.  
  
"Look who's here." Catherine said sardonically as Ecklie neared them.  
  
"The three remaining night shift. You know, you guys better be careful. You're starting to rapidly decrease and die off." He paused, looking at Grissom. "Must be the leadership or maybe the fact that they were all with or were supposed to be with a certain CSI when it happened."  
  
Warrick's temper flared and he took a step towards the day shift supervisor that all the night shift loved to hate. Catherine stepped up beside her friend to try to calm him. All they needed was Warrick on assault charges. "He's not worth it, Warrick. Come on. Let's go. Grissom, can you go with Warrick to his Tahoe?" Grissom looked into Catherine's eyes and nodded. He'd seen that look before and he didn't want to stick around to see her blow up at Ecklie. He accompanied the other man to the parking lot.  
  
Catherine turned around and walked over to Ecklie. "Your husband caused any scenes anymore? Too bad Grissom showed up when he did last year." He jeered.  
  
Catherine let out a string of curses, half of which she'd never even heard before. "Don't ever butt into my personal life again and don't ever make a crack like that in front of Warrick. In fact, don't get near any of us."  
  
"Your life isn't personal when it happens at the lab. And I'll do whatever the hell I want."  
  
He reached out to touch her and she caught his wrist, twisting it. "No. You won't."  
  
After Warrick drove away, Grissom watched the fight and saw Ecklie reach to grab Catherine. He started to go back and help her when he saw that she had things well under control. She walked towards him and he waited.  
  
"You okay?" He asked.  
  
"I can't believe he made a crack like that in front of Warrick." She fumed. "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm sorry."  
  
"For what?" He watched her face. "He was wrong about Eddie."  
  
"Well, I didn't have a coffee pot to throw at him."  
  
"You heard that, did you? Oh, well, he's not the first to say it and he won't be the last."  
  
"Still…"  
  
She yawned. "Can you drive? I'm about to fall asleep."  
  
"Sure." He should never have allowed her to do what she'd done, but he was glad that he knew she could take care of herself, if anything happened. 


End file.
